Not Quite Truthful Answer
by vixen519
Summary: While Ginny Potter does some shopping, Harry goes & has a much needed / delayed talk with a portrait back at Hogwarts about a night from his first Christmas...


AN: This is something that's been stiring with me for several months so finally sat down & wrote it out. Sorry if it's a little more serious then my usual stuff. Disc: still own nothing except some sweet special edition stuff ;) Also all references in this are from book 1 & 7. - ~Vixen519

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It had been quite sometime since Harry James Potter had been inside the Headmaster's office of Hogwarts. In fact if his memory served him correctly last time he'd been in this room he'd merely used the pensieve that was in the far corner off to the side of the sorting hat to see the then quite recently deceased Snape's memory at the time. How the time had flown by since then and how much had happened too! He was now quite happily married to Ginny, they had James Sirius & Albus Severus; and now were expecting a girl whom they already were calling Lily Luna even though she was not yet born.

Which is why he'd come back here today, Ginny was out with Hermione and all the other Weasley women buying things for the newest baby girl in the large family of theirs. He'd received permission to come here from Headmistress McGonagall to speak the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. His curiosity had finally gotten the best of his after all of these but that famous muggle phrase was echoing in his head 'curiosity killed the cat' at the moment.

"Hello again Harry, I see the years gave been good to you since we last talked", the white haired wizard's portrait said once Harry finally walked up to it.

Harry smiled, "After the Final Battle most defiantly. You have a namesake in one of my sons by the way Professor"

His blue eyes twinkled like they always did with unending knowing, "I suspected you would do as much one day, you were always very loyal to me Harry from beginning to the very end. Now what exactly brings you here today, Harry? You're no longer a student so I doubt there is any a house issue or problems with our beloved Quidditch team; otherwise it would be Minnie you'd be speaking with not me"

Harry shifted on his feet uncomfortably and even adjusted his tie (why he had decided to wear for this he still had no clue, perhaps out of habit for Hogwarts), "Professor, do you recall when in my first year we spoke at the Mirror of Erised?"

"Yes"

"You claimed at the time it was woolen socks you wanted that night and ever since that night I've felt answer was not quite true. Am I correct in thinking that?"

The portrait Dumbledore sighed deeply, "You are. I gave you an answer I felt you could handle at the time. Yes, I wanted socks for that particular year but I had not been asking for them repeatedly. Unfortunately the one thing I _truly_ want & see in that mirror I'll never be able to have again as it died long ago when I was **much** younger. Now the remains of it rest in a cell living out the rest of its life for doing acts truly terrible upon mankind"

Harry's eyes bugged out, "You mean…Gellert Grindlewald sir?"

His eyes looks so pained, Harry had never recalled them being so in life, "So you know of you friendship then?"

"Bathilda Bagshot did an elaborate interview with Rita Skeeter about your friendship with him before she passed on; pretty much the whole wizarding world knows now sir. Well few actually _believe_ what she wrote in it is another thing, quite a few people believe she fabricated the majority of it"

"So they don't know of our long talks we would have of everything and nothing. Of how sometimes if felt like it was only just the pair of us in the entire world really. But then he would talk about the things that got him expelled from Durmstrang in the first place…. I would dream of his eyes and arms for many years after our parting, after my dear sister's death. But then when he began attacking all of Europe with his army I was horrified. It of course came down to him and me in the end. When I looked him in the eye that day I saw he was no longer the wizard I knew & cared for deeply. Harry, there is nothing as painful as seeing somebody you love change so horribly & then have to _be_ the person to take them down like I had to that gloomy, wretched day. I'm still surprised I didn't start drinking, I believe it was working at Hogwarts that saved me from most the hurt I felt I think"

It was silent for a moment and Harry wanted nothing more then to hug his late Professor but couldn't, "I truly am so sorry sir"

"It's alright, I've passed on now so my hurt is gone. That's the beauty of being JUST a portrait. My memories are here but that's it. My essence and being is no longer. One day Gellert may or may not join me in the beyond, that's up to him really. But I have a feeling everything is alright in the world now. Just as everything is alright for you Harry. You have a marvelous family I wager, a blossoming career and your children will never have the childhood you did growing up. Be thankful for that"

Harry just nodded his head and knew he had gotten what he had come here for today. Later that night when he laid in bed next to a rather pregnant Ginny who was taking up a majority of not only her side but his side of the bed, he felt how blessed his life was.


End file.
